Do any of you use old blue jeans for your quilts? What parts do you use?

Yes mostly just the legs but I seen a cute wall hanging on here with the pocket on for storing thinks. I cut up a lot jeans a few years and just throw the pockets away and my sister people sell them on ebay. LOL

Absolutly! I infact just cut some up today, I am useing the ones I cut up today to make rag rugs as they are stained pretty bad We are farmers and truckdrivers here the guys get pretty dirty lol, the stains wont show in woven od braided rugs though :) I try not to waste anything :)

Search jean quilts here and on the internet under images you will get lots of ideas. I even see pockets on some. My boys still use the ones my MIL made them probly 15 years ago. They get better with age!

Right now I am doing a jean quilt, and using the back pockets and the legs. I am making it a 5 foot square, but with only 4 large (30") blocks.

While designing the pattern, I came up with at least 8 variables of this pattern, depending on the color variations and orientation of the block.

I use cut up jeans for rag quilts. I have cut around the pockets and incorporated them into the quilt; as long as I don't have to sew over the pocket seams...I made a jean rag quilt along with flannel squares, it turned out very nice; very warm.

Yes, I do all the time, mostly for rag quilts, I have made the cathedral window out of the jeans. I use all of my jeans except for the zipper.

I have done several back in the 70's . I used to collect the jeans . Then cut the usable parts and then sort them into dark , medium and light, until I decided what pattern I was going to make.
They do make a heavy quilt.

I've got some squares cut from mainly the legs, but also the front part and of course the pocket. I'm planning on it being a rag quilt for picnics.

Great idea! Love it.

I made a rag quilt using jeans on the front and flannel on the back. Used an 8" square so wherever it would fit I cut out a square. Bought most of mine at the Goodwill Store. Buy ones that have the wider legs, skinny jeans don't work unless you are using a very small block. You should be able to find it on here somewhere. I think I posted it under Denim Rag quilt maybe. Something like that.

Great idea. I'm about to start a memory quilt for my niece who just graduated from high school. Adding jean squares, could be fun. I like the idea that they all were hers, but she's moved so many times that probably won't happen so getting them at goodwill or the like would be good.
Thanks,
wfeld1st

They make nice rag quilts

All the time, and for years, but I didn't know they fell into the "quilt" category until I came here :) I do all different layouts, and have used everybit of the jeans, even the thick seam thingies - they are good to weave as ragrugs.

I have made several blue jean quilts. They look cute with red bandana

I did one like sunflower 126.Bought all the denim and flanell at the thrift stores.Mens shirts and pants.It was nice and my son loves it--but be carefull and clean your machine regularly.That denim and flanell really clogged mine up!! Lesson learned!!

Took mine to the laundramat to wash it. Too much lint for my washer. I had read that somewhere so I took their advice.

I try to recycle old jeans.My DGD's jeans were too short so I cut the legs off right at the crotch and added 2 ruffles (each a different length) attached to the where the crotch was and it was the such an adorable mini skirt. I also use the legs and pockets to make totes and line with flannel (rag-like) I also use old jeans for the lining of pot holders.

Thank-you. Great ideas. Wfeld1st

Yep I make rag quilts out of them. Everybody I know saves them for me instead of throwing them out.

I've made a few quilts out of jeans. I'm going to try and post one. I have soooooooooo many jeans now that I've asked my friends not to save me any for now, lol

Use a half inch seam.... one quarter seams pull apart easily

I saw this picture on line and saved it in my "idea" folder.

Sorry for previous post: for some reason, my picture wouldn't attach, and I couldn't delete the post.

I just saw the cutest purse made from the top of jeans that I am going to try. I have lots of jeans put aside to use for rag quilts but haven't gotten that far yet.

Very original! I love it.

I've made many jean quilts. No pictures to share unfortunately. The quilts I sent my boys to college with were jean quilts. And there are at least 3 quilts at our camp that have jean quilts on them. They wear like iron and are so warm and heavy they don't always need batting. I didn't machine quilt any of them but just tied them off comforter style.

For quilts I use mostly the legs,but have used the pockets too. I also use old jeans to make raggy tote bags, On those I always incorporate a pockeet or two.

I must have hit the jean quilt jackpot a year ago. I answered an ad on our local Craigslist for a girl giving away favric that belonged to her deceased grandmother. For $15 I got a huge huge huge bin of pre washed, precut 4 1/2 inch squares of jean material. This girl told me that her grandmom would shot their local goodwill, Salvation Army, scavage from relatives when their kids got a whole in the knee of a pair of jeans, and any place else she could get old jeans from...she was going to make a rag quilt "one day". Unfortunately, for her, that one day never came. I'm so sorry for her loss in losing her grandmom but I'll tell you, her grandma must have been a busy lady....I have a rag quilt in my future plans...

Use tops and legs, just don't use the knee portion as they are worn and stretchy. Mix up the colors and size of blocks. I bound mine with hot pink and stitched across it with different colored yarns of pink.

I made my sister a rag quilt from jeans that were her twins and her husbands with one pair that was hers. Even used a back pocket of each pair as blocks. When I presented it to her I told her that when she was sad and down in the dumps she had this quilt to wrap up in with the many fond memories of those that wore the jeans and she'd begin to feel more like her old self. She loves it and from the looks of it the last time I visited her it has been well used and not by just herself but by all in the family.

I cut the leg pieces in unform widths and as long as knee wear etc will allow. I sort them in to 6,9,10 inch widths and make a length strip by just overlapping them and zigzag or other decorative stitch. Add strips to each side as you do out. This method reduces the heaviness of joining the strips. Then put on batting if desired and backing, woven or flannel, and sew vertically down the strips and across if you wish. Our grand kids love them and constantly call dibs on the first one which is backed with red and white checked polyester-cotton fabric.

I cut the leg pieces in unform widths and as long as knee wear etc will allow. I sort them in to 6,9,10 inch widths and make a length strip by just overlapping them and zigzag or other decorative stitch. Add strips to each side as you do out. This method reduces the heaviness of joining the strips. Then put on batting if desired and backing, woven or flannel, and sew vertically down the strips and across if you wish. Our grand kids love them and constantly call dibs on the first one which is backed with red and white checked polyester-cotton fabric.

So very cute!

I make denium quilts for clients and for gifts. Itry to get important dates or things like do they play football or golf etc. I either embroider these or use bright colored markers and really personalize the qulits for them. I use denim for th back too. It can shed sand, stickers or whatever it is laid on, and washes well. Aneokle

I use mostly the legs, but if the pocket area is in good shape, I will include it in a quilt too. And to add something new and different, I will also cut a good section of the seam area for some texture.

I also made a rag quilt with blue jeans and included pockets in some of the squares. It is made with homespun on the front and denim on the back

sept97 : that is a lovely quilt. Is it all jeans? did you use batting ? what backing material did you use?

Yes, I always use the legs and sometimes pockets which I put a matchbox car in (not sewn in). I pair with flannel or red bandana fabrics, My grandkids love them and being made from their Daddy's jeans makes them even more special, they seem to be the ones used the most.

I have a whole tub to cut up for rag quilts. I'm excited . jUst haven't had the time to get to it yet.

thank you cmilton it's all old jeans just cut into squares, no batting needed as it's heavy enough without it and I used fleece for the backing.